WOODSIDE VAULTERS
A Bay Area Equestrian Vaulting Club * Founded 1990
Our Staff
Our coaches are experienced in working with children, as well as coaching and competing at vaulting at the highest levels. Our longeurs are lifelong horse people who match the strength of our coaches in depth of experience.
Krista Mack
Head Horse Trainer
Lunger
High Performance Coach
Rider
Krista Mack has lunged for Woodside Vaulters since 2002, and is currently our head horse trainer. Krista was born and raised in Woodside and grew up vaulting, and riding in Woodside Pony Club and Woodside Jr Riders. She has coached trot through Jr Team at Woodside Vaulters, and competed at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina with Elizabeth Osborn and Atterupgaards Sting. In 2007 and 2014, Krista won the AVA Trainer of the Year award for her consistent, high-level training of Woodside Vaulters' horses, who have won three AVA Horse of the Year awards and numerous USEF Vaulting Horse of the Year awards.
Kiran Perla
Lunger
Rider
Kiran has been working with horses since the age of 14. She has trained in dressage, hunters and jumpers and is aiming to move up to the 1.20’s division with her horse this year. Kiran and her horse train at McIver Equestrian. Kiran recently joined Woodside Vaulter’s staff to help around the barn, exercise horses, and lunge.
Sarah Twohig
Barn Manager
Lunger
High Performance Coach
Rider
Sarah has been with Woodside Vaulters since 2013. She started with Woodside Vaulters as a groom, and in 2015 became a lunger. Sarah has been around vaulting since the age of 7, and has been riding horses since she could sit up straight. She has been a groom at 6 world championships, and in 2021 was promoted to head groom and barn manager at the Senior World Championships in Budapest. She currently lunges for the trot and canter programs, rides several of our horses when they are not in class, and is Woodside Vaulters Barn Manager and Enrollment Manager.
Caroline Morse
High Performance Coach
Lunger
Rider
Caroline is currently a Senior at Santa Clara University, majoring in psychology. In addition to school, She is training to qualify for the Senior World Championships in 2024. ( She represented the US at the Junior World Championships in 2017, 2019 and 2023). She is a member of Silicon Valley Vaulting Club and has been coaching for Woodside Vaulters since August of 2019.
Liz Pernicka
High performance Coach
Elizabeth Pernicka (formerly Osborn) is a lifelong Woodside Vaulter, having competed with Woodside Vaulters until she retired in 2018. She competed as both an individual and team vaulter, and holds national titles for Gold Women's Champion and National A-Team Champion. She competed internationally as a Senior 3* Individual at the World Equestrian Games and World Championships in 2006, 2008, 2016 and 2018. Her highest achievements include placing in the top 10 as a Senior 3* Individual at the World Championships in 2008 and 2016, and earning the Bronze medal with the Senior Team at the World Championships in 2008. She currently works full time as a project manager for clinical research trials in the division of Neurocritical Care at
Hanna Parker
Trot Individuals Coach
Development Canter Coach
Hanna has been vaulting for 14 years and is a gold level vaulter.
She has mostly vaulted on team but also competed individuals and Pas de Deux with her partner Aria. Hanna and her Pas De Deux partner Aria qaulified for the 2023 Jr. World Championships, where they finished in 4th place overall. Hanna grew up in the vaulting world because her mom was a vaulter and is currently a high-level coach. Outside of vaulting, she is a Senior at Crystal Springs Uplands School and will attend Harvey Mudd College in the Fall.
Emma Milito
Trot Coach
High Performance Coach
Emma is a Junior at Santa Clara University, majoring in neuroscience. She has been coaching since 2019, but started with Woodside Vaulters in 2023. She is currently trying out for the World Championships this season in the squad category ( She has competed in squad at the Junior World Championships in 2019, 2021 and individually at the 2023 Young Vaulter Championships).
Emily Rose
High Performance Coach
Emily has been a vaulter for over fifteen years, having spent most of that time as a member of Pacific Coast. She has competed at four World Championships as an individual or team member. She started coaching at Woodside in 2022. Outside of vaulting she teaches spin classes, does weight lifting and yoga in Santa Cruz. In her free time she spends time her time adventuring outdoors with her husband.
Madeline Tzifas
Trot Individuals Coach
Maddie is a Senior at Mercy High School and will be attending Auburn in the Fall, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. She has vaulted for over 8 years and competed with Woodside for 2 years. She currently coaches Saturday trot classes and camps during the summer.